GUYANA continues to blaze the trail on a range of issues, both at the national and at the international level.
At the national level, the country has displayed an extraordinary level of unity and solidarity in the face of Venezuela’s aggression. December 3, 2023, will be remembered as the day when Guyanese all across the length and breadth of Guyana joined hands and hearts in support of their country.

The entire country has come together in an unprecedented show of support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Such support has resonated all across the globe and certainly in the corridors of power in Caracas.
The same cannot be said for the Maduro administration which, from all indications, has failed to garner significant support for its “referendum.” An overwhelming majority of Venezuelans opted to boycott the referendum, which can only be seen as a slap in the face of the Maduro administration.

As far as the domestic situation in Guyana is concerned, the economy continues to grow at an exponential pace. The most recent IMF report commended Guyana for its economic management, including its implementation of policies and programmes.
According to the report, Guyana recorded the highest growth rate in the world in 2022 and is projected to continue along the path of sustained growth.

Interestingly, the report highlighted the fact that the Guyana economy has tripled its size since the start of oil extraction. Guyana, it noted, emerged from one of the lowest in terms of per capita income in the early 1990s to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world today.
And while oil has undoubtedly been a significant contributory factor, the economy has also become much more broad based and resilient as pointed out by Senior Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh.

According to Dr. Singh, the government is in the process of making strategic investments necessary to ensure that in the medium to longer term the economy is not solely dependent on oil.
‘We want to ensure that we have a growing, globally competitive non-oil economy, so we are using this period to invest in things like infrastructure to improve connectivity with our neighbours, increase the economic space in which we are operating and therefore lay the foundation for more trade,’ the Minister said at a recent IMF and World Bank Annual 2023 Meeting in Marrakech, Morocco.

Guyana has also taken centre stage at the recently concluded Conference of Parties (COP) 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Guyana has been identified to take the lead role in the Commonwealth Living Lands Action Group on sustainable green cover and biodiversity. Guyana will play a lead role in the coordination of efforts across the 56 Commonwealth member states. This is indeed a signal honour for Guyana, which has one of the lowest carbon-emission rates in the world, thanks to prudent management of its forests.

Guyana has demonstrated that when it comes to low-carbon development it is second to none, a fact that has won global recognition. Guyana has all reasons to be proud of its leaders, President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo for their robust and forward-looking contributions to the climate talks.
Guyana continues to shine brightly in the international galaxy of nations for which our leaders must be commended.